My Must-Have Pregnancy & Postpartum Essentals

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My Must-Have Pregnancy & Postpartum Essentals

 

I had a pretty rough time during pregnancy – I had high hopes pre-pregnancy that I would sail through it eating nothing but big fat green salads and feeling great.  However with my first hint of pregnancy (croissants!) I got terrible “morning sickness” (lasted all damn day!)  for the entire pregnancy which made eating extremely difficult & awful.  I felt sick 100% all the time and everything I ate tasted disgusting.  Looking back I wonder “was it really that bad?” but it really was – there was definitely tears about this!

I also suffered alot with the physical changes we go through with pregnancy.  I did not see the beauty in my changing body until, sadly, after my pregnancy.  I gained all the weight at the end and was swollen, uncomfortable & just felt ugly all of the time.  It took a big toll on my mental health as I thought I would never return to who I was before.

Being on this side of it now I have alot of self-compassion for myself and wish that I could have celebrated pregnancy differently.  Its likely the only time I will be pregnant and so there is some sadness around that.  While being pregnant can be SO TOUGH physically & mentally, it is also one of the most incredible experiences.

I wanted to share what was helpful for me during my pregnancy & into the immediate postpartum period, especially since I had a C-section belly birth.

For transparency, I do receive some commission off these links so any item you buy helps me & my family.  Thank you in advance!

Earth Mama Nipple Butter: I started putting this on the nips around 35 weeks and its SO LOVELY. Its soft & buttery without being too greasy.  My son had some issues latching on the right nipple and so the first few weeks it felt like FIRE.  This balm calmed it down at every use.  You can also use it on your lips, any dry skin patches and on cuticles! Hands down, my fave!

Earth Mama Angel Baby, Natural Nipple Butter Organic, 2 Fl Oz
Earth Mama Belly Oil:  I had a very strong aversion to ANYTHING with scent my entire pregnancy.  Anything I loved pre-pregnancy I hated pregnant. This oil was the only oil that I could use & oh boy did I use it!  I used it twice daily on the belly, butt, boobs & thighs and managed to avoid any stretch marks.  Now I know stretch marks are genetic but I also feel like tight dry skin can be a contributing factor so I was really happy with this oil.  The scent is very little, it absorbs well and is organic!  Win, win, win!
Earth Mama Belly Oil, 120 Milliliters
Belly Bandit Upsie Pregnancy Support Belt:  I was given this as a gift and was grateful AF for this band in the late 2nd & 3rd trimester.  This belt helped support my belly, hips & back especially when standing for long periods while teaching pilates/ dance.  It helped hold the belly off my bladder so I wasn’t running to pee every 20 minutes and it was flat enough to hide under clothing. It also came with a hot / cold pack that I could use for some pain relief on my back.  It is velcro based so easily adjustable.  I ended up passing this onto a friend who wore it her entire pregnancy from late first trimester to delivery and swore it helped her back pain so much!
Upsie Belly
Pregnancy Body Pillow:  If you told me that I would be using one of these pillows during pregnancy I would have legit laughed in your face.  WTF is it?!  Well my friend, it is pure heaven found in a U Shaped pillow.  This pillow is SO AMAZING I kinda want to get one again just for now life ha ha!  This pillow molds around your frame & supports every little of your body in such a tender & supportive way.  It is like the dream partner!  As your pregnancy continues, you will start to sleep on your side so this pillow will hold & embrace your bump while giving you a comfortable head & neck position.  This was one thing I was so sad to leave behind and trust me its worth every penny!
Meiz Pregnancy Pillow, Cooling Silky Pregnancy Pillows for Sleeping, Maternity Body Pillow for Pregnant Woman with Cooling...
Kea Babies Post Partum 3-in-1 Wrap: Ok so this wrap saved me for months postpartum & surgery.  I did a ton of reading about belly binding postpartum and so it was something that I wanted to do both for stability but to also help me connect with my core & start the healing process.  This wrap was AMAZING BUT it was also confusing as hell to put on.  It was not well instructed (basically non-existent instructions) and so I had to follow a Youtube video for a description of how to wear it.  That video is here.
I wore the first layer pretty much 8-12 hours a day until the 3rd month.  I wore the 2nd layer pretty much every day for the first 2 months and occasionally for the 3rd month.  The final layer I wore about 50% for the first 6 weeks, about 25% month 2 and hardly at all during the 3rd month postpartum.  I found it hard & time consuming to undue all the layers to use the toilet, shower etc when time is so precious (we have no help).  That being said I honestly feel that this belly binding set helped me get on the road to recovery quickly & I definitely felt supported.  Again I had a belly birth and started using this day 1 postpartum.
3 in 1 Postpartum Belly Support Recovery Wrap – Postpartum Belly Band – After Birth Brace – Slimming Girdles – Body Shaper...
Bio Oil: Postpartum I have been using this 2x a day pretty much since I took my bandage off at Day 10.  I was really really scared of the C section scar even though they assured me it would be small and very low.  Once I started scar massage I used this oil and now I use it all over my breasts, belly and thighs to help the loose skin & make sure its all moisturized.  This oil helps with reconstruction & hydration as well as is clinically proven to reduce scars.
Bio-Oil Skincare Body Oil, Moisturizer for Scars and Stretchmarks, Hydrates Skin, Non-Greasy, Dermatologist Recommended, N...

 

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